You are probably familiar with the famous “Footprints in the Sand” poem and illustration. A young man laments at how hard his path has been. He looks in the sand and sees that sometimes there are two sets of footprints, his and God’s; other times he sees only one set of footprints and bemoans why God abandoned him in the deepest trials of his life. God responds gently, “My son, where you see only one set of footprints is where I carried you.”

Such comfort is extended in that illustration. When we are unable to carry ourselves through difficult passages in life, God picks us up and carries us in his loving and faithful arms. But what about when we are reluctant to accept his help? This cartoon might illustrate an alternative view. God says, “Where there is one set of footprints, I carried you. Where there is a long groove, I dragged you for a while.” (Go to GoLightOurWorld.org/blog if you can’t view cartoon.) Of course, God doesn’t actually drag us along. Instead He gives us free will to choose His path or our own. Choosing our own may feel like we are being dragged along. But as James says, it is our own sinful desires that drag us away.

The choice is always ours. When it is too tough to walk, too hard to carry on, we can let God carry us with His sufficient grace. Or we can try to go it alone, trusting in our own sufficiency. We can focus on our problems or focus on Jesus.

What circumstances are making you ever so weary? Jesus invites you to bring them to Him. “Come to me all of you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28